Honoree

Dominic Spera

AWARDS

IU Jacobs School of Music Jazz Alumni Hall of Fame (2016)

BIOGRAPHY

Dominic Spera performed professionally in New York City for 10 years, working in television and recording studios including the Firestone and Fred Waring television shows. He played lead trumpet in several Broadway shows and in the bands of Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk, Charlie Barnet, Billy Butterfield, Tito Puente, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Les and Larry Elgart. After graduating from Indiana University, he taught trumpet and jazz courses at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire from 1968 to 1976. He then joined the faculty at Indiana University and taught jazz arranging and composition, jazz history, jazz ensemble and jazz pedagogy until his retirement in 1997. He is a prolific composer/arranger credited with over 100 jazz ensemble compositions.